AP Biology Mitosis

Akshay Patel
3/2/2022

Gill St. Bernard’s School

2021-2022
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Baseline Experiment
Result and Discussion:
Table 1 provides the sample data of the experiment, and depicts the number of cells in each
stage (interphase or mitosis) for each treatment. This data was taken from analyzing the microscope
image, by deciding which cells were in interphase and which cells were dividing in mitosis. The sample
data was then analyzed into observed cells and expected cells, which could then be used to find the chi-
squared value. Since the chi-squared value was calculated to be greater than the critical value, found in
table 2, of 3.85, the results showed that the lectin group increased cell division. 3.85 was used as the
critical number for this experiment because, as seen in table 2, the experiment deals with only 1 degree
of freedom, and the data is up to 95% accurate. The relationship between the chi-squared value and the
critical number is as follows: if the chi-squared value is greater than the critical value, than it must reject
the null hypothesis of the experiment (the null hypothesis of this experiment stated that the cell count
for both treatments would be the same). Therefore, through analyzing the sample data, and by
understanding the relationship between the chi-squared value and the critical value, the results of the
experiment show that cells undergo an increase in mitosis in lectin.

Calculations:
In order to find the percentage of observed interphase cells (o) in table 3, the number of cells in
interphase of the control group (186) was divided by the number of total cells (200). This number was
then multiplied by the number of cells in interphase of the lectin treatment group (146) in order to find
the expected interphase cells (e). The observed cell percentage was .93 and the expected cell value was
136 for interphase.
In order to find the percentage of observed mitotic cells (o) in table 3, the number of cells in
mitosis of the control group (14) was divided by the number of total cells (200). This number was then
multiplied by the number of cells in mitosis of the lectin treatment group (56) in order to find the
expected interphase cells (e). The observed cell percentage was .07 and the expected cell value was 26
for mitosis.
Once both the observed and expected values were found, the chi-squared value could then be
calculated in order to determine whether the null hypothesis was rejected. X 2 or the total chi-squared
value, is the value of both the interphase chi (X) and the mitosis chi (X) summed together. The chi values
are found by squaring the difference between the observed amount of cells and the expected amount of
cells, and then dividing that number by the expected amount of cells. Therefore, the chi values for
interphase and mitosis were 18.3 and 30.1, respectively, which sums to a chi-squared value of 48.4,
much more than the critical value.

Conclusion:
The mitosis experiment ran successfully, and rejected the null hypothesis, which stated that
there would be no difference in cell count in mitosis in any treatment, as the lectin treatment had more
cells in mitosis than expected. The cell count for the lectin treatment displayed that lectin has the ability
to increase cell division.

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References:
AP Classroom Video: Investigation 7
s4be.cochrane.org/blog/2013/07/08/qmp-medical-statistic-tutorials-chi-squared-and-t-tests/

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Table 1:
Sample Data Interphase Mitosis Total
Control Group 186 14 200
Treatment Group 146 54 200
(Lectin)

Table 2: Critical Values Table

Critical Values Table Degrees of Freedom (df)
Probability 1 2 3 4 5
0.05 3.85 5.99 7.82 9.49 11.1
0.01 6.64 9.21 11.3 13.2 15.1
0.001 10.8 13.8 16.3 18.5 20.5

Table 3: Analysis Table

Analysis Table Observed Cells (o) Expected Cells (e) Chi-Square
Interphase Cells 186/200= .93 .93 x 146 = 136 (186-136)2/136 = 18.3
Mitotic Cells 14/200= .07 .07 x 54 = 26 (54-26)2/26 = 30.1
Total Cells 200 X2 = 48.4

Figure 1: Chi-Square